What happens
Sessions show a shifted time (one or two hours, exactly the offset from UTC), dates in 1970 or 2000, or in the future. Time-of-use tariffs charge the wrong band and reports don't add up.
Check it in two minutes
The test server compares the time the charger sends with the real time and warns if it's more than 5 minutes off: in two minutes you know whether the clock is the problem. Open the OCPP test server →
The causes, most likely first
1. The charger sends local time as if it were UTC
OCPP sends every time in UTC. A charger with the wrong time zone sends its local time without saying so, and everything shifts by exactly the offset.
How to fix it: Set the charger to UTC (or the right zone) and let the platform show local time.
2. The clock doesn't sync
The charger should set its clock from the time the server gives it at boot and on every heartbeat. If it doesn't and has no NTP, it drifts.
How to fix it: Turn on NTP on the charger if it has it, or check the firmware.
3. It lost its battery or its network
After a power cut, a charger with no clock battery boots in 1970 or 2000 and sends those dates until it syncs. With no network as well, stored sessions come in with that date.
How to fix it: Give it a stable network; if it repeats after every power cut, it's the clock battery.
What askacharge.com does
The platform stores everything in UTC and the panel shows the time of whoever is looking. Tariff bands apply in your brand's local time, not the charger's.
Frequently asked questions
What time zone do OCPP timestamps use?
UTC. The charger must send timestamps in UTC and the platform shows them in local time.
Why are my sessions one hour off?
Almost always because the charger sends its local time as if it were UTC. Set it to UTC or fix its time zone.